Last Update: 09 May 2026
India’s film industry is no longer just about entertainment — it is a high-stakes business worth ₹20,000+ crore annually. And nothing reflects this better than what its biggest stars charge per film. A decade ago, ₹40 crore was considered a superstar fee. Today, that number looks almost modest. In 2026, the top actors are pulling in anywhere between ₹100 crore and ₹300 crore per project — and the math behind it actually makes complete sense.
Top 10 Most Paid Actors in India 2026
| # | Actor | Estimated Fees (Per Film) | Recent Blockbuster | Upcoming Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allu Arjun | ₹175–300 Cr | Pushpa 2: The Rule | AA22 (untitled) |
| 2 | Shah Rukh Khan | ₹150–250 Cr | Jawan, Pathaan | King (2026) |
| 3 | Rajinikanth | ₹125–270 Cr | Vettaiyan | Thalaivar 174 |
| 4 | Thalapathy Vijay | ₹130–220 Cr | Leo | Jana Nayagan |
| 5 | Prabhas | ₹100–200 Cr | Salaar | The Raja Saab |
| 6 | Aamir Khan | ₹100–175 Cr | Sitaare Zameen Par | Untitled Project |
| 7 | Ajith Kumar | ₹105–165 Cr | Vidaa Muyarchi | Good Bad Ugly |
| 8 | Salman Khan | ₹100–150 Cr | Tiger 3 | Sikandar |
| 9 | Hrithik Roshan | ₹75–100 Cr | War | War 2 |
| 10 | Mahesh Babu | ₹70–100 Cr | Guntur Kaaram | SSMB 29 |
1. Allu Arjun — India’s Highest Paid Actor in 2026
Allu Arjun sits at the very top in 2026, and it is not without reason. Pushpa 2: The Rule crossed ₹1,800 crore worldwide and turned what was already a popular Telugu star into a genuine national phenomenon. His base fee reportedly stands at ₹175 crore, and with profit-sharing built into the deal, total earnings from a single project can touch ₹300 crore — figures cited by Zee News and Forbes India both.
What makes Allu Arjun irreplaceable is his mass connect. Rural audiences love him. Urban multiplexes sell out. Pushpa 2’s OTT deal with Amazon Prime Video was reportedly worth ₹250+ crore, with satellite rights sold separately — one film, multiple revenue rivers.
2. Shah Rukh Khan — The Comeback King
Few comebacks in Indian cinema history have been as emphatic as Shah Rukh Khan’s. After a prolonged dry spell, Pathaan and Jawan shattered records back to back, reminding the industry why SRK remains its most reliable investment. He reportedly charges ₹150 crore to ₹250 crore per project, as cited by Forbes India and multiple trade sources.
What separates SRK from most is the profit-sharing structure. He does not just take a flat fee and walk away — he stays invested in the film’s performance, which means producers get a committed partner rather than just a hired face. His global fanbase, particularly strong in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and among the Indian diaspora, adds an international dimension that few others can offer. Pathaan’s Netflix deal and Jawan’s OTT acquisition were both among the largest in Indian film history.
3. Rajinikanth — The Phenomenon
There is no equivalent to Rajinikanth anywhere in Indian cinema. Temples are built in his honor. Fans travel hundreds of kilometers for first-day screenings. TOI reported that Rajinikanth is charging ₹225 crore for Thalaivar 174, making him the highest-paid Tamil star currently working.
For Jailer and Vettaiyan, his total earnings reportedly ranged between ₹125 crore and ₹270 crore. Sun TV and major streaming platforms enter bidding wars for his satellite and OTT rights — a dynamic that significantly inflates the overall revenue pool. At 74, the scarcity of his releases has only made each project more financially significant.
4. Thalapathy Vijay — Box Office Guarantee
Thalapathy Vijay is the kind of star Tamil Nadu wakes up early for. His films Master, Beast, and Leo all delivered strong opening weekends regardless of critical reception — and that consistency is exactly what producers pay a premium for. Reports suggest he charged ₹220 crore for Jana Nayagan, placing him right behind Rajinikanth among Tamil stars.
Vijay’s appeal spans both the mass single-screen audience and the urban multiplex crowd, which is genuinely rare. OTT platforms targeting Tamil-speaking audiences treat his film rights as top-priority acquisitions every single cycle.
5. Prabhas — The Pan-India Pioneer
Before Baahubali, no Telugu actor had truly broken through to become a Hindi-heartland name. Prabhas changed that permanently. Today, he charges between ₹100 crore and ₹200 crore per film, and producers across multiple industries line up to work with him because his name travels across all five major language markets without needing translation.
Salaar’s Netflix deal and The Raja Saab’s pre-release OTT negotiations both reflected the premium streaming platforms place on Prabhas-led projects. His larger-than-life screen presence works equally well in an action epic and a romantic drama.
6. Aamir Khan — Mister Perfectionist
Aamir Khan releases films rarely, and that is precisely the strategy. When he does appear, it is treated as a cultural event rather than just a movie release. His estimated fee of ₹100 crore to ₹175 crore per film reflects both his box office track record and his ability to generate long-tail revenue — Dangal, for instance, continues to earn through China theatrical and OTT runs years after its original release.
His association with Amazon Prime Video has been consistent, and his films are among the platform’s highest-performing Indian acquisitions. Sitaare Zameen Par reinforced that his chosen-carefully approach continues to pay off commercially.
7. Ajith Kumar — The Mass Entertainer
Ajith Kumar is one of Tamil cinema’s most dependable commercial forces. His fanbase, known as “Thala” fans, is intensely loyal and shows up reliably on opening weekends regardless of genre. As of May 2026, multiple media reports place his per-film fee between ₹105 crore and ₹165 crore.
Ajith’s appeal is particularly strong in Tamil Nadu’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, which form the backbone of Tamil cinema’s consistent box office performance. Sony LIV and Netflix both actively compete for his OTT rights.
8. Salman Khan — The Mass Maharaja
Salman Khan’s brand is almost impossibly consistent. Eid releases, massy action films, and an audience reach that goes deep into small-town India — this formula has held for over a decade. His reported fee of ₹100 crore to ₹150 crore per film is backed by a reliable opening weekend machine that few Bollywood stars can match.
His Being Human brand partnerships are often bundled with film projects, creating a broader commercial ecosystem around each release that producers find attractive beyond just the theatrical window.
9. Hrithik Roshan — The Greek God of Bollywood
Hrithik Roshan brings something uniquely his own to every project — physical commitment, dance ability, and emotional depth that keeps him in a class apart. His fee of ₹75 crore to ₹100 crore per film is supplemented by a profit-sharing arrangement that typically runs at 40–50% of net profits, meaning his actual earnings from a War-sized hit are considerably higher.
YRF’s Spy Universe films command some of the highest OTT deal values in Hindi cinema, and Hrithik’s presence in that franchise is a core reason why.
10. Mahesh Babu — The Telugu Prince
Mahesh Babu has spent two decades building one of Telugu cinema’s most reliable brands — suave, stylish, and consistently bankable with urban and semi-urban audiences alike. His per-film fee sits between ₹70 crore and ₹100 crore, with Guntur Kaaram reportedly earning him close to ₹100 crore total.
Telugu content is among the fastest-growing segments on major OTT platforms, which means Mahesh Babu’s film rights continue to attract serious streaming interest with every new announcement.
Highest Paid Actresses in India 2026
The actresses’ landscape is evolving fast. Here is a quick overview of the top five:
| # | Actress | Estimated Fee Per Film | Recent Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deepika Padukone | ₹15–30 Cr | Pathaan, Jawan, Kalki 2898 AD |
| 2 | Priyanka Chopra Jonas | ₹15–25 Cr | International + Bollywood projects |
| 3 | Alia Bhatt | ₹15–30 Cr | RRR, Rocky Aur Rani, Love & War |
| 4 | Katrina Kaif | ₹15–20 Cr | Tiger franchise |
| 5 | Rashmika Mandanna | ₹10–15 Cr | Pushpa franchise, Animal |
Deepika Padukone leads the list as India’s highest-paid actress, charging ₹15 crore to ₹30 crore per project according to Forbes India. She is one of the rare female stars in Bollywood who commands fees comparable to her male co-stars, and has additionally built revenue streams through her beauty brand 82°E and production house Ka Productions.
Alia Bhatt is fast closing in, with deal structures that now include profit-sharing components — a sign that she is negotiating at a new level. Priyanka Chopra Jonas maintains her position through a combination of Bollywood and international work, keeping her brand visibility uniquely cross-market. Rashmika Mandanna, boosted massively by the Pushpa franchise, is the fastest-rising name on this list.
The gap between male and female actor fees remains significant — top male stars earn roughly 5x to 10x more per film. The industry is moving slowly toward correction, but parity is still some years away.
Evolution of Actor Salaries: 2015 to 2026
2015 — The ₹20–40 Crore Era
Bollywood’s top three — Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan — were commanding ₹30–40 crore per film. South stars were in a similar bracket. The concept of a ₹100 crore actor fee was considered aspirational at best.
2017–2019 — Baahubali Changes Everything
Baahubali 2 became India’s first ₹1,000 crore domestic grosser and completely rewrote the rules. Prabhas became a nationwide star overnight, and South producers began justifying fees of ₹60–80 crore for their leading men. Bollywood responded by pushing its own star fees upward.
2020–2022 — The OTT Revolution
COVID shuttered theatres and sent the entire industry onto streaming platforms. What this did, unexpectedly, was inflate the value of digital rights to levels nobody had predicted. Actors began demanding profit-sharing from OTT deals. The total revenue potential of a single film suddenly jumped by ₹100–200 crore when streaming rights were factored in.
2024–2026 — The ₹100–300 Crore Era
Pushpa 2’s ₹300 crore earnings for Allu Arjun made industry jaws drop — and then made producers rethink their revenue models entirely. Pan-India releases in five languages, aggressive global distribution, and premium OTT acquisitions have collectively created a financial environment where ₹100 crore is the new baseline for a genuine A-lister.
Why Producers Pay ₹100 Crore+?
Opening Weekend Insurance
A top star’s name alone can drive ₹50–100 crore in opening weekend collections before a single review is published. Producers are effectively buying a guaranteed launch — and that is worth a significant premium.
Pan-India Release Multiplies Revenue
When a film releases in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada simultaneously, theatrical revenue multiplies across territories. Star power is what makes a multi-lingual release commercially viable in the first place.
OTT Rights Have Exploded
Streaming platforms — Netflix, Amazon, Disney+Hotstar — now actively bid for big-star films, sometimes paying ₹150 crore to ₹250 crore for digital rights alone. This money goes directly to the producer and offsets a large portion of the actor’s fee.
Satellite Rights — Old but Gold
Television channels still pay ₹50–100 crore+ for the rights to big-star films. This is guaranteed revenue entirely independent of theatrical performance.
Global Distribution
Indian cinema’s international market — especially the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and diaspora audiences — is growing fast. Top stars’ films collect significant numbers overseas, adding another layer of financial justification for premium fees.
Brand Endorsements Follow Hits
When a film becomes a blockbuster, the actor’s endorsement value spikes. Brands pay ₹5–15 crore per campaign, which keeps the star’s overall market visibility high and indirectly benefits the next film’s opening.
A ₹100 crore actor fee unlocks ₹500–800 crore in total revenue potential across all windows. The ROI stays positive — which is exactly why the business logic holds.
Bollywood vs South India — Who Pays More?
In 2026, this debate is far from settled — both industries are neck and neck. Bollywood’s global brand value and Hindi-speaking audience of 500 million+ keep it in a strong position. Telugu cinema, however, has established genuine pan-India reach through Baahubali, RRR, and Pushpa, generating some of the largest actor fees in the country. Tamil cinema’s loyal domestic base and icons like Rajinikanth and Vijay keep it firmly in the top tier as well.
An actor’s salary is primarily determined by box office drawing power and pan-Indian appeal. The earnings of South India’s highest-paid stars are now on par with — and in some cases have surpassed — their Bollywood counterparts.
All fees are estimates based on media reports from Forbes India, Zee News, Times of India, and Business Viewpoint Magazine. Actual deal structures are private.